Multiple variations of small sailing craft, car top-able or trailer-able, have been developed in an attempt simplify the overall sailing experience and introduce new consumers of all ages to the sport and leisure activity. Most simplification attempts have involved assembly processes, transportability features related to bulk and weight, and variations of kick-up rudders. Other variations attempt to enhance stability through the deployment of outriggers, hydrofoils, or specialized mast and sail rigging. Variations of mono-hull, catamaran and tri-hull designs are well known in the present marketplace.
Mono-hull car-top sailboat hulls are of the planing hull variety but are bulky, difficult to car-top by one person, and highly unstable when sailed for speed requiring frequent shifting of crew weight to provide stability. Multi-hull car-top catamarans employ wave piercing displacement hulls, having a tendency to pitch-pole as a result, and require frequent shifting of crew weight to provide lateral and longitudinal stability. Some catamarans incorporate a hull design that is capable of planing, but in a severe laterally canted position referred to as “flying a hull” where one hull is raised completely out of the water and extreme shifts in crew weight and position are required to remain upright. Tri-hull designs generally provide more stability through the deployment of outriggers to provide a wide beam but must be trailered, and require significant assembly time. In all varieties of car-top sailboats the crew is seated toward the stern of the boat, and behind the mast, which restricts forward visibility. Frequently cited negative characteristics include a wet sailing experience, instability and easy to capsize, and pitch polling (poor longitudinal stability). Small sailboats in the present marketplace, and published designs, fail to address in one product, many of the cited negative characteristics and do not incorporate all of the positive characteristics. The present invention is directed toward improvements in multi-hull sail boats, particularly to those of the catamaran class.